Serving God in Elyria Since 1964

Abbe Road Baptist Church was established in 1964 and has always had one priority: the proclamation of the gospel message - that Jesus Christ died to save us from our sins and He offers us the free gift of eternal life. We are committed to helping people come to know Jesus as their personal Savior, and to walk alongside them as they grow and mature into healthy, productive followers of Christ.

We are a community of people of all ages and different ethnic backgrounds. Yet, we hold something very special in common. We have become avid followers of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and the only Savior for all mankind. We are not into religion, man-made rules and traditions, or ourselves, but rather, we are about knowing, loving, and walking with the Lord. We take Him and discipleship seriously.

We'd love to have you visit us! You'll find a warm welcome and God-honoring worship, and solid biblical teaching from the Word of God. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Get to Know Our Pastor

Pastor Cal Searles was born and raised in the Oberlin, Ohio area, graduating from Firelands High School in 1973. He is a graduate of Cedarville University and Baptist Bible Seminary and has pastored for 39 years.

His focus is on verse by verse exposition of the Bible. He has written multiple discipleship lessons and other teaching tools. He has traveled to Mexico and the Philippines to share the Word of God. He is married to Deb (Jackson), who shares in his ministry with much love and a passion for people. They are the co-authors of a series of children's books. Deb has traveled extensively across America with her sister, Dee, sharing a ministry of music. They are the parents of four children and one grandchild.

Pastor Cal began his ministry at Abbe Road in July 2014. His focus is prayer, making disciples, expository preaching, and loving people.

tall and narrow letters, that works well on almost every site.

What We Believe

Our Mission
At Abbe Road Baptist Church, we are determined to make disciples.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." Matthew 28:19-20

What We Believe
1) Of the Scriptures:
We believe that the Holy Bible, as originally written, was verbally inspired and the product of Spirit-controlled men and therefore has truth without admixture of error for its matter.

We believe the Holy Bible, comprised of 66 books, is the Word of God, without error, and is our ultimate source of truth and revelation.

We believe that it is the true center of Christian union and the only infallible rule for all human conduct, creeds, and opinions.

Il Timothy 3:16, 17; Il Peter 1:19-21.

2) Of the True God:
The God of the Bible is the one and only God, yet three Persons:
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

3) Of the Devil, or Satan:
The Devil is a fallen angel who has chosen to fight God until His final death in the lake of fire.

4) Of the Creation:
God created the universe in six literal days, about 6000 years ago.

5) Of the Fall of Man:
Adam, the first man, representing all of mankind, plunged us all into a state of rebellion and alienation from God.

6) Of the Forgiveness for Sin:
Jesus alone has made it possible to have all our sins forgiven by His
substitutionary death on the cross, where He shed His blood for us.

7) Of Salvation by Grace:
Salvation is by God's grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and not human works, rituals, or ceremonies.

8) Of the Church:
The church is made up of all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God's provision for salvation, and who have been born again by the Holy Spirit.

9) Of the Ordinances:
The Lord Jesus gave the church two official commands: baptism, which means 'immersion" and communion worship as a memorial of the cross.

10) Of the Righteous and the Wicked
The righteous in Jesus Christ will go to heaven, but those who remain unrighteous in their sin will go to eternal judgment.

11) Of the Return of Christ:
He is coming back to earth to reign and rule with a rod.

12) Of the Resurrection:
That believers who have died will be raised to new, glorified bodies, and that unbelievers will be raised to face God and eternal condemnation.